Drivers distracted by gadgets

Capt'n Midnight

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4266425.stm

Almost half of drivers admit they have been distracted by in-car gadgets, sometimes even causing them to crash, according to a survey.

One in five of 1,500 drivers quizzed by Privilege Insurance admitted swerving out of their lane while changing CDs or fiddling with the instruments panel.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4672657.stm

Mobiles 'quadruple crash danger'
Drivers are four times more likely to crash when using mobile phones, even if they use hands-free kits, experts say.

They reached their estimates by looking at the phone bill records of 456 drivers needing hospital treatment after road crashes in Perth, Australia.

mackerski

Isn't Perth in a particularly sparsely populated part of Australia where a lot of roads are long, straight and empty? I can't help thinking that this may contribute to any incidents. I'd also be interested to know how they defined a hands-free phone (could be anything from an earpiece to a factory-fitted rig) and how they gauged whether an available hands-free option was actually in use at the time of the accident.

Dermot

Chris_533976

Mythbusters did some tests and they proved that drivers driving while talking on a mobile are more dangerous than drivers over the legal alcohol limit.

galah

mackerski wrote:

Isn't Perth in a particularly sparsely populated part of Australia where a lot of roads are long, straight and empty?
Dermot

Huh?

Perth has about 1.5 mio inhabitants...and is a city just like Dublin, with corners, and small roads, and large roads, and bends, and traffic lights...you get my point...

mackerski

galah wrote:

Huh?

Perth has about 1.5 mio inhabitants...and is a city just like Dublin, with corners, and small roads, and large roads, and bends, and traffic lights...you get my point...

You don't appear to get mine - try reading it again.

Dermot

joolsveer

I have often wondered do the radios that taxi men and emergency service workers use not impair their driving?

mackerski

Plenty of taxi drivers seem already capable of impaired driving without any external influences.

Dermot

Victor

joolsveer wrote:

I have often wordered do the radios that taxi men and emergency service workers use not impair their driving?

This is why ambulances have a crew of at least 2.

mackerski, bold, but good!